Oldest English poem discovered in medieval book from Roman library: "We Couldn't Believe..."

Scientists have discovered the oldest surviving English poem in a medieval book found in a Roman library.

Elizabeth Magnanti, a visiting researcher at Trinity College Dublin's School of English, told the AP that they were extremely surprised by the discovery.

"We couldn't believe our eyes when we first saw it," she said.

It is an Old English version of the poem, believed to have been composed in the 7th century by the Northumbrian shepherd Caedmon.

The manuscript is one of the oldest surviving recordings of "Kedman's Hymn".

Mark Faulkner, associate professor of medieval literature at Trinity, says he considers Caedmon's poem the beginning of English literature, the AP agency writes today.